Intoxicated man attempted to steal tow truck, police say

A man has been charged with theft after allegedly attempting to steal a tow truck, court documents state.

Author:
KVUE Staff

Published:
3:14 PM CDT September 27, 2017

Updated:
3:14 PM CDT September 27, 2017

Police said an intoxicated man attempted to steal a tow truck on Thursday as the driver was on the ground checking for illegally parked vehicles.

Police said they received a call about a physical disturbance between the tow truck driver and the suspect, identified as 62-year-old Alvin Farmer. According to police, the driver reported he was checking vehicles when he noticed his truck driving towards him.

After waving Farmer down, the driver said he eventually stopped the vehicle and that Farmer asked him not to call police. Police said the driver disagreed with Farmer and waited by the driver's side door until police arrived.

Police said that upon arrival, they found Farmer sitting in the driver's seat of the tow truck with the engine running. After searching the suspect, police said they found a CO2-operated, semi-automatic pellet gun concealed under his shirt.

After checking his identity, police said two outstanding warrants appeared, including aggravated assault and a municipal court warrant. And after conducting a DWI investigation, police said they determined that Farmer was intoxicated.

Travis County court records currently show five charges against Farmer, including theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000.